Portret van Johann Andreas von Segner 1762 - 1807

Carl Gottlieb Rasp created this portrait of Johann Andreas von Segner, using etching, around the late 18th century. Segner, a prominent figure in his time, is framed within a classical, almost architectural border, yet he dons a fur hat and a scarf. This immediately positions him within a unique intersection of intellect and lived experience. Consider what it meant to portray an academic with such domestic and personal markers of identity. During this era, intellectuals were often depicted in highly idealized and impersonal ways. Segner’s gaze is direct but not confrontational, inviting a sense of intimacy. Rasp captures an individual who is both a scholar and a person deeply embedded in their own cultural and personal context. Portraits like this served not only to commemorate but also to negotiate identities within the shifting social landscape of the late 1700s. They subtly challenge the traditional representation of learned individuals, emphasizing the human aspect of intellectual life.